Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-06-17

The town of Lancaster was laid out in
1900, and the county of Fairfield was or
ganiZed the same year, Marietta was
then twelve years old, Chillicotho n babe
of two or three, and Cincinnati has not
turned its first decade.
Arthur st. Clair was Governor of the
Territory, but the darksomo plans for hia
overthrow were forming even ut that
time in the minds of the willy Chillicothc
cabal that was yearning and burning to
wrost the political power of the Territory
from the friends of Washington.
When the first settlement in Ohio was
madu ut Marietta in l7Ss, the valley of the
Hooking was pcopled by several tribes of
the Wyandot Indians. There were two
Indian towns within the present limits of
Fairfield County. The chief one was
called Tarhe town. II was situated on
the north bank of the Hooking river, and
extended TO the southeast border of Ian
caster. Tho town was named after the
Indian chief, Tarhe, who governed it, and
contained about five hundred inha bitants.
Nine miles to the west was an Indian viii
lage called Toby Town. At the close of
the great Indian war that commenced in
1ig2, treaty was made with the Indians
at Fort Grcenville, the present county
seat of Darltc County. BY the terms of
this treaty the Indians abandoned their
hunting grounds in the Hooking Valley
and moved northward toward Sandusky.
The treaty of Fort Grcenville was signed
on the Sd day of August, 1875. A few In
dians, loath TO leave the graves of their
fathers, fingered about the old towns for
several years, but they were not i'll dis
posed, and gave the white settlers no con
Germ.
There were days when the life of white
man was not safe in the Hooking Valley,
and the most dangerous period was during
the Indian war that closed with the treaty
of Fort Groenville. During that war two
white scouts named Wctzel and haywood
were one day observing the movements of
thelndians from place of concealment on
Mount Pleasant, near the sits of Lancas-
ter. The rocks and dense growth of pine
trees on the sides and top of the mount
gave ample shelter to the scouts, and in
case of attack promised valuable hiding
places from the shots of their red foes.
The sides OF the mountain were steep and
high, so there was not much danger of an
open attack if their presence was discov-
cred by the savages, but there was before
them the fear that the Indians would sur
round the base of the mountain and starvc
the scouts into surrender, which of course
meant death by horrible torture.
Three-quarters of mile west OF Mount
Pleasant, says Mr.. Scott, one of the nara
tors of thestory, is n hill, which at that
time was covered with dense forest. The
ground between the hill and Mount Pleas
ant was also richly wooded. A few feet
from the southwest base of the hill the
Hooking river flowed, and beyond it
stretching of TO the west was q grassy
prairie. From the south base of the hill
there gushed powerful current of clear,
cool water, which was then and is still
known as the "Cold Spring" A wcll-worn
foot-path led to the spring, which the In
dians made daily use of. The path was
well shut in by n growth of trees and
bushes, aud the stream was overhung
with arching boughs. The spring was so
inclosed by leaves and branches that one
approaching it was not likely to be seen
by any of the main body of Indians, whose
movements the scouts were watching,
but, of course ran the risk of meeting
some rowing Indian or squaw.
Nightly the scouts went to the cold
spring for water; one kept watch on the
perilous trip to the spring.
The scouts had been watching the In
dians for several days, and had not been
discovered and had met with no adventure.
Evening came again. and one of them, the
daring Wetzel, descended the mountain
with his accustomed caution and picked
his way quietly toward the spring. The
night was soft and still. The silence was
IL hat 4
even oppressive. 1t was that palpitating
kind of stiffness that often precedes some
great physical or natural phenomenon,
and Wetzel, old settlers who handed down
the story tell, had feeling that something
would happen.
Something did happen.
Wetzel reached the spring, filled his can
teen with water and was stealing his way
back. He was just turning round the
southern base of the hill when suddenly,
and without the least warning sound he
found himself face TO face with a couple of
squaws. He comprehended the situation
instantly, and saw that there was not q
moment to be lost in hesitation. He knew
that a yell from either of the women
would probably bring fifty warriors TO the
spot and then his only chance for safety
and escape would lie In his heetnoss OF
foot. 80, with the quickuess of wildcat,
he dropped his gun, and, springing for
ward, he grasped the throat of each wo-
man in his powerful hands and dragged
them bodily into the stream of water, a
few yards away, and plunged their heads
beneath tho surface, where he intended 10
hold them iii they were both drowned.
pas woman was sidl the other young